Artist statement; wat is je specialisme, wat maakt jouw werk uniek?

Being a woman means having your head in the clouds whilst remaining down to earth. I was taught about the importance of the materialistic and spiritual aspects of life by the women in my family. I was always reminded of earning my own money but also being in touch with my intuition.

Even though I grew up with so many women and they shaped my world, my gaze and ideas of beauty were shaped by society. I wasn’t aware of this until I had a good look at my editing process. I removed everything that is considered “ugly” or not “normal” by society: pimples, birthmarks, and the tactility of the skin. I removed the aspects that made a body human and I sculpted a new body that matched the standards. Besides creating a new body, I also saw my body in bits and pieces, I highlighted the beauty and removed the parts society considered ugly. I was objectifying my body and shaping it to fit the beauty standards. By reflecting on my editing process I realized that I was contributing to this beauty standard. However, by showing my RAW files I would show the unfiltered truth, something people can actually relate to more.

I’m drawn to beauty and this is what I’ve been trying to capture. I capture mostly humans and their bodies because I find beauty in them. Now I find them in all aspects of the body and also the “imperfections” because that is what makes someone human. By photographing them I consider them worthy of being saved and highlighted, a big responsibility. Therefore, it’s important to show a broader narrative and not only the beauty that is defined by the standards that we see on social media and in magazines. I want my photos to be a contrast of the photos we see and that set the standard. That’s why I post them on these platforms as well, to give a new perspective and to show the beauty of all human aspects.

Wat zijn je ambities? Wat wil je over vijf jaar bereikt hebben?

Over vijf jaar heb ik een baan omtrent fotografie waar ik enorm van kan genieten. Dit kan zijn als fotograaf maar ook als beeldredacteur of in een museum. Ik wil bezig zijn met kunst en fotografie op welke manier dan ook en hier dan een baan in hebben wat mij blij maakt en uitdaagt.

Wat is het belangrijkste dat je hebt geleerd tijdens je studie?

Ik heb veel zelfkennis opgedaan. Wat zijn onderwerpen die ik belangrijk vind en waarom? Het heeft me handvaten gegeven om te weten waar ik voor sta, niet alleen binnen de kunst, maar ook in het leven.

Overzicht van publicaties / exposities / prijzen / concerten / voorstellingen etc.

Nominatie: Canon Student Development Programme, Visa pour l’image 2020
Publicatie: Grijs Gebied for Encourage 2020